As LA's killer cop manhunt drags into its sixth day, police are learning ever more about Christopher Dorner, the man suspected of killing three people and wounding two others on a revenge mission against the LAPD. Dorner apparently purchased scuba gear two days before allegedly killing his first two victims, and police now believe him to be using burner cellphones to maintain contact with friends and allies. What's more, one of those allies tried to help Dorner flee to Mexico, according to new criminal charges filed in US District Court late last week.

National security pundit Glenn Greenwald has an interesting thought experiment in the Guardian…
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Identified as only "JY" in the court papers, Dorner's associate reportedly attempted to assist Dorner in his efforts to get to Mexico, efforts which began with a bungled and abandoned boat theft:

Dorner allegedly attempted to steal a boat in San Diego and, after subduing the captain, said he was taking the vessel to Mexico, according to an affidavit filed with the federal complaint. Dorner is accused of telling the captain that he could recover his boat in Mexico.

"The attempt failed when the bow line of the boat became caught in the boat's propeller, and the suspect fled," according to the affidavit by Inspector U.S. Marshal Craig McClusky.

After authorities interviewed the boat captain early Thursday, they found Dorner's wallet and identification cards "at the San Ysidro Point of Entry" near the U.S.-Mexico border, according to the court records. That same day, a guard at the Point Loma Naval Base told authorities he had spotted a man matching Dorner's description trying to sneak onto the base, according to the filing.

Police are playing it close to the vest regarding who JY may be and what role he or she may have had in Dorner's escape plan. They're also making sure to stress that Dorner could be trying to get anywhere at this point, not just Mexico.

The LA Times reports that more than 50 families with ties to the LAPD remained under protective custody as of yesterday.